2012-13 PREVIEW The Saint Joseph's men's basketball team will embark upon one of the most anticipated seasons in a number of years, as the entire squad returns intact from a campaign that saw the Hawks go 20‐14 and earn a bid to the NIT. Expectations are high for a group that has evolved from the youngest team to play under head coach Phil Martelli into an experienced and talented core group. Quite possibly the most athletic collection of individuals to ever play on Hawk Hill, the team has provided SJU fans with a sense of excitement and hopes of making a run towards the Atlantic 10 title and an NCAA Tournament bid. "With our expectations being higher, I'm going to encourage the players to embrace it because I want their expectations to exceed those from the outside, said Martelli, who is SJU’s all‐ time leader in victories with 320 in 17 seasons. “I want the dis‐ appointment and hurt from last year to linger with all of us." And although the Hawks were one of nine teams in nation to notch 20 wins after having 20 losses the previous season, Martelli knows they left a handful of wins on the table as incon‐ sistency set in at inopportune times. Saint Joseph's held sec‐ ond‐half leads in 11 of the 14 losses, and the coach is deter‐ mined to not let that happen again this season. "I didn't do enough by putting them in situational basket‐ ball,” said the coach. “Each guy had a weakness or idiosyncra‐ cy that surfaced at the wrong time. But it starts with me put‐ ting them in situations of comfort, accountability and results.” "Our end game is what needs to be improved the most. We have to do a much better job in finishing possessions. We have to a better job at the end of the shot clock. But we also have to do a better job rewarding our defensive efforts like loose ball recoveries," said the coach, who has guided SJU to 10 postsea‐ son appearances. "The biggest thing with this group is going to be offensive execution. We've got to come up with a way for us to play that is comfortable because we could have some unusual lineups." The Hawks return all five starters from last year ‐ Carl "Tay" Jones, Langston Galloway, Halil Kanacevic, C.J. Aiken and Daryus Quarles ‐ as well as the top sixth man in the A‐10, Ronald Roberts, Jr. That group provided SJU with a balanced attack last season, as four of those players (Jones, Galloway, Aiken, Roberts) averaged double figures in scoring and five players earned Atlantic 10 honors, the most ever in a season for the Hawks. Saint Joseph's has been known for its strong guard play and this season will be no different with the backcourt of Jones and Galloway, the Hawks' top scorers the past two seasons. Carl Jones, who has scored over 1,400 career points, is the most experienced Hawk and the team's only senior who has seen action on a regular basis. He is a proven scorer who is capable of scoring 20 or 30 points in a contest, even though the majority of his minutes are spent running the point. Jones can hit the three‐pointer (62 made) or penetrate the lane and score while also drawing fouls and converting the free throw (79.0 free throw percentage). Backcourt mate Langston Galloway can also put up the points and has established himself as SJU's top perimeter shooter. The 6‐2 junior made a team‐best 90 three‐pointers last season and ranked fourth in the nation by converting 46.6 percent from beyond the arc. Galloway has been one of the more consistent Hawks over the past two years, sharing or earning team MVP honors twice, and as the team’s top on‐the‐
ball defender, brings a steady all‐around game to the court. But as solid as the Jones‐Galloway back‐ court is, it is the Hawks' frontcourt that has elevated the level of excitement and optimism sur‐ rounding the team. Junior forward C.J. Aiken has shown his ability to be a game‐ changer with his shot‐ blocking prowess and will be considered one of the top big men in the confer‐ ence and a key to the Hawks' success. The Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Aiken led the nation early on and finished the season ranked fifth with 3.5 blocks per game, reg‐ istering 120 blocked shots. He also aver‐ Langston Galloway aged 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds, and as his offensive game continues to develop, should find himself as an even more important part of SJU's attack. Halil Kanacevic, a 6‐8 forward, made his presence felt imme‐ diately in his first season on Hawk Hill after transferring from Hofstra. With a unique passing ability for a big man, the Hawk offense ran many times through Kanacevic and he handed out a team‐high 125 assists (3.7 per game). The junior, who was also the team's top rebounder with 8.3 per game, also scored 8.3 points per game and is capable of putting up double figures on a regular basis. Ronald Roberts, Jr., established himself as a crowd favorite with his athleticism and high‐flying dunks and was named the Atlantic 10's Sixth Man of the Year, SJU’s first since 2004. Roberts was basically a "sixth starter" but his unselfishness gave SJU an impact player off the bench. He averaged 10.9 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting a team‐best 59.7 per‐ cent from the field. Whether he stays in that reserve role remains to be seen, but either way, he will be an integral part of the Hawks' success. Daryus Quarles was the Hawks' starter at the wing for the second straight year and will be looking to increase his offen‐ sive production. The 6‐6 junior, who averaged over 20 minutes per game, could provide an extra boost if he can consistently score from the perimeter. Chris Wilson was the first guard off the bench last season as a freshman and showed he was capable of running the point and effectively spelling either Jones or Galloway. The sopho‐ more put in extra work on his jump shot during the summer in hopes of adding more offense when he gets into the game.
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